Emptying the Notebook: Notes, tidbits, stats on Arkansas-Auburn

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas entered uncharted waters this week.

For the first time in nearly three years, the Razorbacks had to learn how to put an SEC win behind them and shift their focus to the next game on their schedule.

That process started Monday, when head coach Sam Pittman continued the tradition of showing his team highlights - and lowlights - from their 21-14 upset win at No. 16 Mississippi State.

“We always have a good, bad and ugly video that I talk about to the team,” Pittman said. “I’m going to show them why we had success, what we have to work on to get better, and some things that are unacceptable. We’ll get them all fixed.”

It was Arkansas’ first conference win since knocking off Ole Miss on Oct. 28, 2017, snapping a school-record 20-game SEC losing streak. It also ended a 10-game losing streak against all opponents, which was tied for the longest in UA history.

The victory was an important first step toward rebuilding the program, but the Razorbacks’ first-year coach was quick to say they still have room for improvement.

“It was a wonderful, fun win and all those things, but we certainly don’t have it down pat yet,” Pittman said. “We’re working hard. We haven’t changed anything we’re doing. We’re trying to work hard and trying to go earn victories and trying to get better at the same time.”

Now with a road trip to No. 13 Auburn on the horizon, Arkansas will try to avoid a letdown performance like it experienced last season.

The Razorbacks used a big fourth quarter to pull away from Colorado State and improve to 2-1 in what seemed like a monumental win under previous head coach Chad Morris.

However, their “Club Dub” attitude lingered into the next week and they suffered a disappointing loss to San Jose State that marked the beginning of the end for Morris - and started the 10-game losing streak that just ended.

“The biggest takeaways for us was that we don't get happy from this,” safety Joe Foucha said about the Mississippi State win. “We still have a lot to prove. We're not getting big-headed from this.”

Pittman echoed those sentiments and has been determined to focus all of the Razorbacks’ energy on preparing for Auburn this weekend.

“The hardest job I've heard is when you have what your program might consider a big win then going and playing the next week,” Pittman said. “I'd just be very disappointed in myself if we weren't ready to play, so we're aware of that.”

Arkansas is aiming for its first back-to-back victories since winning consecutive 1-point games over Ole Miss and Coastal Carolina in the second half of the 2017 season.

It’s been even longer since the Razorbacks won multiple SEC games in a row. The last time they did it was in November of 2015, when they followed up the Henry Heave win at Ole Miss with a dominant showing at LSU.

Much like it did that year, Arkansas is trying to follow an upset victory in the state of Mississippi with another road win over a ranked Tigers squad. Pittman said his staff wasn’t going to adjust anything in practice or how they talked to the kids in response to the win, but rather just continue working as they were - if not even harder.

“We've probably even been a little bit harder on them this week than maybe what we were the last two weeks,” Pittman said. “The expectations are the same, but we've probably been a little bit harder on strain, finish, transition. Just a lot of expectations probably have been amped up a little bit.”

Here are a few other notes, tidbits and stats from the week leading up to Saturday’s 3 p.m. CT kickoff in Auburn, Ala., that will be televised on ESPN…

Facing Chad

Both head coaches have done a relatively good job of downplaying it, but one of the biggest storylines for this week’s game is that it pits Morris - now Auburn’s offensive coordinator - against his former team.

Pittman said he has instructed his players to take a business approach to the game instead of using it as a motivational tool, while Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said he doesn’t believe it’ll mean much after kickoff.

Interestingly, Malzahn experienced a similar situation when he returned to Fayetteville as Tulsa’s offensive coordinator the year after leaving Arkansas and again when Auburn hosted Arkansas State the year after he left Jonesboro to become the Tigers’ head coach.

“It was really weird for me personally that week, I do remember that,” Malzahn said. “But like I said, once a game starts, you just kind of flip the switch. But before and after, it was definitely a completely different feel.”

As for Morris’ former players, they seem to be adhering to Pittman’s directives. Wide receiver De’Vion Warren told reporters that he didn’t have any problems with his old coach.

“It’s just another game,” Warren said. “We have to go out there and make sure we focus on us and not let the game get too big. Just play our game and control what we can control.”

Similarly, starting nickel back Greg Brooks Jr. said he isn’t using it as motivation.

“No extra emotions,” Brooks said. “We’re just going to go out there and treat it like it’s a regular team, like he’s just a regular coordinator. We’ll just do our thing.”

On the flip side, though, Auburn fans are embracing that angle.

“It’s definitely personal for him,” said Nick Brahms, the Tigers’ starting center, about Morris. “In that way, we’re playing for him.”

Henry’s First TD

During Pittman’s first tenure with the Razorbacks, as an offensive line coach from 2013-15, he had an up-close view of arguably the best tight end in UA history.

He watched from the sidelines as Hunter Henry racked up 116 receptions for 1,661 yards and nine touchdowns in three seasons, eventually leading to him winning the 2015 Mackey Award.

Now back at Arkansas as the head coach, Pittman is getting the chance to coach his younger brother, Hudson. The redshirt freshman has caught six passes for 37 yards this season, including a 12-yard touchdown - the first of his career - last week against Mississippi State.

“It’s awful nice seeing another Henry get in the end zone for the Razorbacks,” Pittman said. “I think he’s growing every week. I’m proud of him. He’s getting physical in the blocking game.